Improvement in clothes-pins



E. F. CLEARWATER. CLOTHES-PIN.

No. 193,143. Patented J'u1y17,1877.

WITNESSES; mama:

N, PETERS, PHDTO-UTHOGRAPHER WASHINGTON D C UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EDWIN F. OLEARWATER,

OF CARMEL, NEW YORK.

IMPROVEMENT IN CLOTHES-PINS.

Specification torming part of Letters Patent N 0. 193,143, dated July 17, 1877 application filed March 24, 1877.

' To all whom it may concemt: Be it known that I, EDWIN F. OLEARWATER, of Carmel, in the county of Putnam and State of New York, have invented a new and Improved Clothes-Pin, of which the following is a specification 1n the accompanying drawing, Figures 1 and 2 are side elevations of my improved clothes-pin, and Fig. 3 is a front elevation of the same.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts. 7

The invention consists in the construction and arrangement of the locking-lever of a clothes-pin, as hereinafter described.

Referring to the drawing, A B are jaws, that are connected together near their centers by staples a, which are driven into them at each side, and form pivots upon which the jaws move. The jaws are concave from their rounded ends to the staples, making them sufficiently elastic to clasp clothes of. any thickness without breaking. The tapered end of the jaw B is slotted to receive a cam-lever, G, which turns on a pin, b, that passes through both the lever and the aw.

The shorter end of the lever O is rounded, forming the cam c, and is of sufficient length to bear against the concaved end of the jaw A when it is turned down at an angle with the jaw B, as shown in Fig. 2.

The manner of using my improved clothespin is as follows: The pin, when arranged as shown in Fig. 1, is placed over the clothes upon the line, and the cam-lever 0 is turned upon its pivot,- bringing the cam into contact with the opposite jaw of the pin. The motion is continued until the end of the camlever is above the line-of its pivot, when the jaws are securely locked.

By my improvement I dispense with springs and furnish a clothes-pin which is inexpensive, durable, and efficient.

I am aware that it is not, broadly, new in clothes-pins touse a cam-lever to open and close the pin; but this has been always made to work out of its center and with a varied motion.

What I claim is- In a clothes-pin, the locking cam-lever O c, constructed with end tenon pivoted between forks of jaw B, as shown and described, to adapt said lever to bear against the inner face of said jaw, and to be held in locked position by the shoulder on each side of its tenon.

EDWIN F. OLEARWATER. Witnesses:

BENJAMIN D. CRANE, FEANK'FRY. 

